Absorbent pad for a garment

ABSTRACT

A garment having a fabric body and an absorbent pad attached to the fabric body is disclosed. The absorbent pad includes a liquid impermeable barrier layer and a functional layer attached to the barrier layer. The functional layer has a wicking component and a liquid absorbent component. The liquid absorbent component is disposed between the wicking component and the barrier layer. The absorbent pad is washable and reusable.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/700,699, filed on Mar. 22, 2022; application Ser. No. 17/700,699 is aContinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/940,495, filed onJul. 28, 2020; application Ser. No. 16/940,495 claims priority from U.K.Application No. 1911052.7, filed on Aug. 2, 2019 in the United Kingdom.Each of the above referenced patent applications is incorporated hereinby reference its entirety.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure generally relates to an absorbent pad for agarment. More particularly, the present disclosure describes variousembodiments of the absorbent pad for use in a garment as well as agarment comprising the absorbent pad.

Absorbent garments such as reusable and washable absorbent undergarmentsare worn with the purpose of absorbing bodily fluids. These bodilyfluids include vaginal discharge, urine, menstrual fluid, sweat, andbreast milk. Many people suffer from involuntary excretion of bodilyfluids and there are few garments that have been designed to absorb suchexcretions that are functional and comfortable to the user wearing it.

For example, a woman who is menstruating will generally use a tampon ora sanitary pad, in addition to wearing an undergarment, to keep herouter garments from being soiled by menstrual fluid. While the tampon orpad often absorbs all the liquid flow, unexpected leaks can still occur.To avoid such leaks, she can instead choose to wear an adult brief,which offers a larger area of protection and may be particularly usefulfor women experiencing heavy menstrual flows. Adult briefs may also beuseful for people who have urinary incontinence. However, adult briefstend to be bulky and unattractive, making it difficult to conceal themunder outer clothing, which may cause embarrassment to the user. Somedisadvantages of wearing adult briefs and sanitary pads includeprolonged exposure to wetness, which may result in discomfort, irritantdermatitis, and/or infections. Further, pads/tampons may be occasionallypositioned incorrectly and adult briefs may be wrapped too loosely, bothresulting in leakage. In addition, these conventional products aregenerally disposable, meaning that the environmental and economic costscan be significant.

The bulkiness of conventional products means that they do not allow theuser to easily wear low-coverage undergarments. For example, absorbentpads must be placed into large, maximum-coverage undergarments that arecapable of sufficiently containing them, while diapers and absorbentundergarments are generally large to adequately address the incontinenceof the user. Therefore, someone who prefers thong-style or low-risebikini underwear is often forced to choose between wearing preferredunderwear, which risks leakage onto their outer clothing, or wearing acumbersome and unattractive garment that would ensure that all leaks areprevented.

WO 2016/133458 describes an absorbent pad having a layered structure.However, this layered structure of the absorbent pad restricts how theabsorbent pad can be fitted to a garment, namely by non-stitching means.DE 102008057840 describes an incontinence pad attached to a textile bysewing. However, sewing of the incontinence pad creates holes therethough and these holes increase the risk of leakage.

Therefore, in order to address or alleviate at least one of theaforementioned problems and/or disadvantages, there is a need to providean improved absorbent pad for use in a garment.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is anabsorbent pad for use in a garment. The absorbent pad comprises: aliquid impermeable barrier layer; a functional layer attached to thebarrier layer, the functional layer comprising a liquid absorbentcomponent; a liquid impermeable peripheral sealing element bonded toperipheries of the functional layer and barrier layer; and a peripheralattaching element having a first portion and a second portion, the firstportion bonded to the peripheral sealing element, wherein the secondportion of the peripheral attaching element is detached from theperipheral sealing element and is arranged to be attached to a fabricbody of the garment, thereby attaching the absorbent pad to the garment.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is amethod for forming an absorbent pad for use in a garment. The methodcomprises: attaching a functional layer to a liquid impermeable barrierlayer, the functional layer comprising a liquid absorbent component;bonding a liquid impermeable peripheral sealing element to peripheriesof the functional layer and barrier layer; and bonding a first portionof a peripheral attaching element to the peripheral sealing element,wherein a second portion of the peripheral attaching element is detachedfrom the peripheral sealing element and is arranged to be attached to afabric body of the garment, thereby attaching the absorbent pad to thegarment.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is agarment comprising: a fabric body; and an absorbent pad attached to thefabric body. The absorbent pad comprises: a liquid impermeable barrierlayer; a functional layer attached to the barrier layer, the functionallayer comprising a liquid absorbent component; a liquid impermeableperipheral sealing element bonded to peripheries of the functional layerand barrier layer; and a peripheral attaching element having a firstportion and a second portion, the first portion bonded to the peripheralsealing element, wherein the second portion of the peripheral attachingelement is detached from the peripheral sealing element and is attachedto the fabric body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is amethod for modifying a garment, the method comprising: providing agarment comprising a fabric body; and forming an absorbent pad for usein the garment. The absorbent pad comprises: a liquid impermeablebarrier layer; a functional layer attached to the barrier layer, thefunctional layer comprising a liquid absorbent component; a liquidimpermeable peripheral sealing element bonded to peripheries of thefunctional layer and barrier layer; and a peripheral attaching elementhaving a first portion and a second portion, the first portion bonded tothe peripheral sealing element, the second portion detached from theperipheral sealing element. The method further comprises attaching thesecond portion of the peripheral attaching element to the fabric body,thereby attaching the absorbent pad to the garment.

An absorbent pad for use in a garment according to the presentdisclosure is thus disclosed herein. Various features, aspects, andadvantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, by way of non-limiting examples only, along with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the presentdisclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description ofthe disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference toembodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Itis to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate onlyexemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting ofits scope, may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional illustration of an absorbent pad attached toa fabric body of a garment, in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is another cross-sectional illustration of an absorbent padattached to a fabric body of a garment, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustration of a method for forming the absorbentpad, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D are various cross-sectional and plan viewillustrations of the absorbent pad being formed, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustration of a method for modifying a garmentwith the absorbent pad, in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 6A to FIG. 6F are various cross-sectional and plan viewillustrations of the garment being modified with the absorbent pad, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A to FIG. 7D are various other cross-sectional illustrations ofthe absorbent pad being formed and the garment being modified with theabsorbent pad, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are front view and rear view illustrations of thegarment comprising the absorbent pad, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are cross-sectional and plan view illustrations ofanother garment comprising the absorbent pad, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are various other cross-sectional illustrations ofan absorbent pad attached to a fabric body of a garment, in accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have beenused, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common tothe figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of oneembodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments withoutfurther recitation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For purposes of brevity and clarity, descriptions of embodiments of thepresent disclosure are directed to an absorbent pad for use in agarment, in accordance with the drawings. While aspects of the presentdisclosure will be described in conjunction with the embodimentsprovided herein, it will be understood that they are not intended tolimit the present disclosure to these embodiments. On the contrary, thepresent disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications andequivalents to the embodiments described herein, which are includedwithin the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description, specificdetails are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe present disclosure. However, it will be recognized by an individualhaving ordinary skill in the art, i.e. a skilled person, that thepresent disclosure may be practiced without specific details, and/orwith multiple details arising from combinations of aspects of particularembodiments. In a number of instances, known systems, methods,procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as tonot unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, depiction of a given elementor consideration or use of a particular element number in a particularfigure or a reference thereto in corresponding descriptive material canencompass the same, an equivalent, or an analogous element or elementnumber identified in another figure or descriptive material associatedtherewith.

References to “an embodiment/example”, “another embodiment/example”,“some embodiments/examples”, “some other embodiments/examples”, and soon, indicate that the embodiment(s)/example(s) so described may includea particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, orlimitation, but that not every embodiment/example necessarily includesthat particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element,or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in anembodiment/example” or “in another embodiment/example” does notnecessarily refer to the same embodiment/example.

The terms “comprising”, “including”, “having”, and the like do notexclude the presence of other features/elements/steps than those listedin an embodiment. Recitation of certain features/elements/steps inmutually different embodiments does not indicate that a combination ofthese features/elements/steps cannot be used in an embodiment. The terms“a” and “an” are defined as one or more than one. The use of “I” in afigure or associated text is understood to mean “and/or” unlessotherwise indicated. The recitation of a particular numerical value orvalue range herein is understood to include or be a recitation of anapproximate numerical value or value range.

In representative or exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure,there is an absorbent pad or pad 100, such as in but not limited to theform of a gusset, for use in a garment as illustrated in FIG. 1 .Specifically, the absorbent pad 100 is attachable to a fabric body 200of the garment. The garment may be an intimate garment or undergarmentworn by a user particularly at parts of the body where there may beexcretions of bodily fluids. For example, the garment may be, but is notlimited to brassieres, lingerie, sportswear, and similar close-fittingor form-fitting garments. The absorbent pad 100 includes a functionallayer 101 and a liquid impermeable barrier layer 106, wherein thefunctional layer 101 is attached, such as by bonding and/or stitching,to the barrier layer 106. The functional layer 101 includes a liquidabsorbent component 104 capable of absorbing liquid.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 2 , the functional layer 101further includes a liquid permeable wicking component 102, wherein theabsorbent component 104 is attached, such as by bonding and/orstitching, to the wicking component 102 and disposed between the wickingcomponent 102 and the barrier layer 106. Additionally, the functionallayer 101 is attached, such as by bonding and/or stitching, to thebarrier layer 106 at the wicking component 102.

The wicking component 102 is capable of acquiring and distributingliquid or moisture to the underlying absorbent component 104.Specifically, when the garment comprising the absorbent pad 100 is wornby the user, the wicking component 102 faces the user's body and servesto transport bodily fluids produced by the user's body to the absorbentcomponent 104. In other words, the wicking component 102 transportliquid from its surface that is in direct contact with the user to itsinternal surface that is in contact with the absorbent component 104.The wicking component 102 may be made from fibres or yarns made withfibres, where said fibres and yarns are selected from one or more of thegroup consisting of polyamide, polyester, polyolefin, polyurethane,polyacrylonitrile, natural cellulose, regenerated cellulose, regeneratedcellulose derivatives (i.e. cellulose acetate and cellulosetriacetates), natural protein and regenerated protein. The wickingcomponent 102 may be produced using technologies such as knitting (warpknitting such as raschel Tricot, weft knitting such as circular orflat), weaving, non-woven methods (blow spinning, staple nonwoven, spunlaid, air-laid, needle punched, thermal bonded, hydro-entangled,chemical bonded and so forth), electro-spinning, force-spinning etc.Additionally, the wicking component 102 may also include one or more ofthe coatings, treatments encapsulation or entrapments, which wouldenhance its liquid and moisture management functionality, such as rateof wicking, wicking capacity, rate of spreading and distribution,one-way liquid transport etc.

The material of the wicking component 102 may be naturallymoisture-wicking and/or be treated to become moisture-wicking. Forexample, the wicking material may be 100% polyester fabric with FrenchTerry knit and a denier differential across the two faces of the wickingcomponent 102 that assists in moving the liquid from the skin-facingside of the wicking component 102 to the internal surface that is incontact with the absorbent component 104. Other suitable wickingmaterials include blends of polyester, polypropylene, and cotton. Anadvantage associated with the use of a wicking component 102 having thetriangular ridge structures of French Terry knitting facing the user'sskin is that less surface area of the surface of the wicking component102 comes into contact with the skin and therefore reduces any sensationof feeling wetness against the skin.

As an example, the wicking component 102 may comprise a material that is51% cotton and one or both of the inner and outer surfaces of thewicking component 102 may be treated with a hydrophilic composition ormaterial (e.g. polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide,poly acrylic acid, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, hydrophilic silicones, orhydrophilic polyurethanes) and/or a hydrophobic composition or material(e.g. silicones, polyfluoroalkylacrylates, polyacrylates, polyurethanes,or waxes) to create a net hydrophilic gradient across the wickingcomponent 102. In other words, the surface in direct contact with theuser's skin may be less hydrophilic (i.e. more hydrophobic) whereas theouter surface may be more hydrophilic. For example, the surface of thewicking component 102 in direct contact with the user's skin may betreated with a hydrophobic material and/or the opposing surface may betreated with a hydrophilic material. This results in a combination of a“pushing” force generated by the hydrophobic properties of the surfacein direct contact with the user's skin and a “pulling” force generatedby the hydrophilic properties of the outer surface that may wick anymoisture or liquid through the wicking component 102 and away from theuser. The hydrophilic and hydrophobic compositions may be applied to thewicking component 102 using any conventional method known to the skilledperson.

Additionally, the differential capillary forces on either side can becreated by the fabric structure of the wicking component 102 where oneside of the wicking component 102 has a smaller pore size in comparisonto the opposite side of the wicking component 102. Ideally, this porecombination creates funnel-like structures through the wicking component102 in cross-section, where the liquid is pulled from the side with thelarger pore size to the side with the smaller pore size, due to thedifferential capillary pressure.

The rate of wicking through the wicking component 102 may be controlledto be faster or slower. The rate may be set at a maximum rate ofabsorption of the wicking component 102 to ensure that all, or asignificant percentage of, the liquid is absorbed by the absorbentcomponent 104 and does not leak beyond the confines of the garment. Therate of wicking may be controlled by the density, thickness, orcomposition of the wicking component 102 and/or by the amount and typeof hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic material applied to the wickingcomponent 102. In another embodiment, the rate of wicking may be setsuch that the surface of the wicking component 102 in direct contactwith the user feels “dry” or mostly dry to the user while the othersurface may feel wet.

In some embodiments, the wicking component 102 may include anantimicrobial agent or substance. For example, the antimicrobialsubstance may be one or more substances selected from the groupconsisting of a silver-containing substance, titanium dioxide, aquaternary silane, hydrogen peroxide, triclosan, and zinc pyrithione.Additionally or alternatively, the wicking component 102 may include anagent or substance that combats odour. For example, the substance thatcombats odour may be one or more substances selected from the groupconsisting of nanoparticles with acid-neutralising pockets, high surfacearea mineral compositions, high surface area ceramic compositions andhigh surface area clay compositions. Further additionally oralternatively, the wicking component 102 may include a stain-resistantor stain-proof agent or substance.

The absorbent component 104 may include any liquid absorbent/absorbingmaterial known in the art (e.g. cotton, a cotton blend, foam, asynthetic material, absorbent polymeric foam, a nanotechnology-based or-produced material, or any other moisture-absorbent material). Thematerial may have a weight of 50 to 500 g/m², such as 180 to 300 g/m².For example, the absorbent component 104 may be made from an 80:20 blendof polyester:nylon fabric with a microfiber double terry knit. Othersuitable materials include polypropylene or any cellulose-based fabricand their blends including cotton, bamboo etc.

In some embodiments, the absorbent component 104 may be a 100% polyesterdouble terry fabric. This material is approximately 90% air and soallows for a higher absorbent capacity, as moisture fills up the airgaps of the polyester terry fabric without significant expansion of thepolyester fibres. This does not translate into significantly thickerabsorbent pad 100.

In some embodiments, the absorbent component 104 may be made from ablended fibre comprising two or more of superabsorbent polymer (SAP),hydrogel and polyester, or at least part (e.g. the surface facingtowards the fabric body 200 of the garment) of the absorbent component104 may have been treated with SAP and/or hydrogel. In theseembodiments, the use of these materials may result in increased liquidabsorbent capacity, with a reduced thickness and weight for theabsorbent pad 100, and in an improved dry feel on the surface of thewicking component 102 in contact with the user's skin, due to anincreased affinity in the absorbent component 104.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 1 , the functional layer 101includes the absorbent component 104 but excludes the wicking component102. In some embodiments, the functional layer 101 is treated such thatit also achieves at least some properties of the wicking component 102as described above. Specifically, the outer surface 103 of thefunctional layer 101 may be chemically treated such that the outersurface 103 enables liquid to be transported efficiently to theunderlying absorbent component 104. Such chemical treatments will bereadily known to the skilled person. The treated outer surface 103 thusachieves the properties of the wicking component 102 as described abovefor acquiring and distributing liquid to the absorbent component 104.The functional layer 101 may additionally be treated or added withagents/substances such that it contains one or more of an antimicrobialagent, an odour-combatting agent, and a stain-resistant agent, such asthose described above for the wicking component 102 to achieve theassociated properties.

The barrier layer 106 is leak-proof and may include any known wholly orpartially liquid-blocking material. Preferably, the barrier layer 106 isbreathable, so that liquid may not pass through it, but gases (includingwater vapour) can do so. For example, the barrier layer 106 may includeone or more layers of a thermoplastic or thermoset film, where thethermoplastic or thermoset film is selected from one or more of thegroup consisting of polyurethane, polyester, polyolefin, and silicone.Particular examples of liquid impermeable materials include layers madefrom a liquid impermeable polymer or a thermoplastic polyurethane film.

In some embodiments, the barrier layer 106 may be a lightweight tightlyknitted/woven fabric coated with SAP/hydrogel, or the barrier layer 106may be a lightweight tightly knitted/woven fabric made using textile/SAPhybrid fibres. Alternatively, the barrier layer 106 may be aliquid-proof membrane (such as a liquid-proof membrane material suppliedby Dingzing Advanced Materials Inc, Taiwan). When used in a garmentcomprising the absorbent pad 100, the barrier layer 106 may provide theadvantage of being fully breathable in dry form, while providing aneffective barrier material upon exposure to liquid. Furthermore, thesematerials may also enable the absorbent pad 100 to dry more quickly thanthe use of a liquid impermeable polymer such as a thermoplasticpolyurethane film.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 1 , the functional layer 101 isbonded to the barrier layer 106 at their respective peripheries or sideedges by a bonding means 108. Alternatively, the bonding means 108 maybe applied across the entire surfaces between the functional layer 101and barrier layer 106. The bonding means 108 may be an adhesive orultrasonic bonding. For example, the adhesive may be an adhesive tape,liquid glue, or hotmelt powder glue). When the adhesive is an adhesivetape, the tape is a double-sided adhesive tape (such as of the typeproduced by Bemis Associates Inc.) and said tape may have a single layeror multiple layers where said multiple layers may have one or morefunctions, such as barrier layers, elastic layers etc. When the adhesiveis a liquid glue, the glue may be a hot melt glue, a liquid resin orcombinations thereof (e.g. the adhesive may be a hot melt glue/liquidresin bonding by nozzle extrusion or liquid resin bonding by screenprinting/template printing).

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 2 , the functional layer 101includes the wicking component 102 attached, such as by bonding and/orstitching, to the absorbent component 104. The absorbent component 104and barrier layer 106 may be bonded to the wicking component 102 attheir respective peripheries or side edges by the bonding means 108.Optionally, the absorbent component 104 may be bonded to the barrierlayer 106 with the bonding means 108 applied across the entire surfacesbetween them.

The functional layer 101 and barrier layer 106 may have the same 2Dfootprint, meaning that the shape or area of each layer 101 and 106 issubstantially identical when viewed from above/below the plane on whichthe layers 101 and 106 lie. In embodiments where the functional layer101 includes the wicking component 102 and absorbent component 104,while the 2D footprints of the functional layer 101 and barrier layer106 are essentially the same size, the absorbent component 104 has a 2Dfootprint that is smaller than the 2D footprints of the wickingcomponent 102 and barrier layer 106. For example, the 2D footprint ofthe absorbent component 104 is approximately 2 to 20 mm, such as 10 to15 mm, smaller around its periphery than the 2D footprints of thewicking component 102 and barrier layer 106. This difference in size mayallow the functional layer 101 (including the differentially sizedwicking component 102 and absorbent component 104) and barrier layer 106to be unified into a single pad by a single bonding means 108. Using asingle bonding means 108 for unifying the various layers/components mayadvantageously mitigate the risk of leakage.

It will be appreciated that there could be other possible arrangementsof the layers/components, with the bonding means 108 being applied asappropriate. For example, the wicking component 102, absorbent component104, and barrier layer 106 are bonded together by a single adhesivetape. Alternatively, the wicking component 102 is bonded to theabsorbent component 104 by a first adhesive tape and the wickingcomponent 102 is bonded to the barrier layer 106 by a second adhesivetape. A third adhesive tape may also be used to bond the absorbentcomponent 104 to the barrier layer 106.

In another exemplary arrangement of the layers/components, therespective 2D footprints may increase from the wicking component 102(smallest area) to the absorbent component 104 and then to the barrierlayer 106 (largest area). It will be appreciated that the bonding means108 may be applied as appropriate to bond the various layers/componentstogether.

The absorbent pad 100 further includes a liquid impermeable peripheralsealing element 110 surrounding the peripheries of the functional layer101 and barrier layer 106. Specifically, the peripheral sealing element110 is bonded to a periphery 105 of the functional layer 101 and aperiphery 107 of the barrier layer 106. Notably, the periphery 105 ofthe functional layer 101 may be at the side edge of the exposed wickingcomponent 102 or outer surface 103, and the periphery 107 of the barrierlayer 106 may be likewise at the side edge of the exposed surface 109 ofthe barrier layer 106.

The peripheral sealing element 110 may include a single-sided adhesivetape such as of the type produced by Bemis Associates Inc. and said tapemay have a single layer or multiple layers where said multiple layersmay have one or more functions, such as barrier layers, elastic layersetc. The adhesive side of the single-sided adhesive tape faces thefunctional layer 101 and barrier layer 106. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.2 , the peripheral sealing element 110 has a C-fold or C-shapedarrangement that entirely encloses the peripheries 105 and 107 of thefunctional layer 101 and barrier layer 106, respectively. Thisarrangement forms a liquid impenetrable barrier seal or cuff around theperiphery of the absorbent component 104, advantageously reducing theleakage from the resulting absorbent pad 100 onto the garment. Thisarrangement also results in a durable garment that may be washed andreused.

In some embodiments, the peripheral sealing element 110 is a liquidimpermeable element without adhesive properties. The peripheral sealingelement 110 may be bonded to the periphery 105 of the functional layer101 and the periphery 107 of the barrier layer 106 by suitable bondingmeans, such as adhesive or ultrasonic bonding. It will be appreciatedthat in various embodiments, the peripheral sealing element 110 may bebonded to all layers/components of the absorbent pad 100.

In some embodiments, the functional layer 101 is attached to the barrierlayer 106 by stitching at their respective peripheries 105,107, insteadof bonding using the bonding means 108. Similarly, the wicking component102, absorbent component 104, and barrier layer 106 can be stitchedtogether at the peripheries 105,107. However, these stitches couldpotentially form conduits for liquid to pass through the barrier 106.The peripheral sealing element 110 is thus arranged such that itoverlaps the stitches at the peripheries 105,107 in order to maintainthe liquid impermeability of the absorbent pad 100.

In some embodiments, the barrier layer 106 and peripheral sealingelement 110 may be a continuous piece of liquid impermeable material,i.e. there is no bonding at the periphery 107. This continuous materialwould be bonded to the periphery 105 of the functional layer 101 in asimilar manner to the embodiments where the barrier layer 106 andperipheral sealing element 110 are separate pieces of material bondedtogether.

The absorbent pad 100 further includes a peripheral attaching element112 having a first portion 112 a and a second portion 112 b. Theperipheral attaching element 112 may be formed of a suitable materialthat may optionally be elastic to facilitating attaching to the fabricbody 200. The peripheral attaching element 112 may be formed of thesame, similar, or different fabric or textile material as that of thefabric body 200. The first portion 112 a of the peripheral attachingelement 112 is arranged adjacently to the functional layer 101 andbonded to the peripheral sealing element 110. In some embodiments, saidbonding of the first portion 112 a is achieved by use of a bonding means113 that is similar to the bonding means 108 described above. Forexample, the bonding means 113 is a double-sided adhesive tape such asof the type produced by Bemis Associates Inc. and said tape may have asingle layer or multiple layers where said multiple layers may have oneor more functions, such as barrier layers, elastic layers etc. In someembodiments, said bonding is achieved by ultrasonic bonding or anadhesive such as liquid glue or hotmelt powder glue. When the adhesiveis a liquid glue, the glue may be a hot melt glue, a liquid resin orcombinations thereof (e.g. the adhesive may be a hot melt glue/liquidresin bonding by nozzle extrusion or liquid resin bonding by screenprinting/template printing).

The second portion 112 b of the peripheral attaching element 112 isarranged adjacently to the barrier layer 106 and detached from theperipheral sealing element 110. As mentioned above, the peripheralsealing element 110 can be a single-sided adhesive tape and the adhesiveside faces the barrier layer 106 while the non-adhesive side faces thesecond portion 112 b. Moreover, as the bonding means 113 is appliedbetween the first portion 112 a and functional layer 101 and not to thesecond portion 112 b, there are no adhesive or bonding properties on thesecond portion 112 b. Thus, the second portion 112 b is detached fromand not bonded to the peripheral sealing element 110.

The second portion 112 b is arranged to be attached to the fabric body200 of the garment, such as by stitching, sewing, and/or bonding means(or any combination thereof), thereby attaching the absorbent pad 100 tothe garment. As the second portion 112 b is detached from the peripheralsealing element 110, it is positioned freely to be attached to thefabric body 200 with minimal constraints. For example, the secondportion 112 b may be stitched or sewed to the fabric body 200 and thedetached second portion 112 b allows for easier stitching, sewing,and/or bonding to the fabric body 200. This arrangement thus allows thesecond portion 112 b to function as a fabric strip or flap for attachingthe absorbent pad 100 to a garment. Moreover, by using a freely mobilefabric strip or flab to attach to the fabric body 200, no stitching orsewing is required at other layers/components of the absorbent pad 100,such as stitches through the functional layer 101 or peripheral sealingelement 110, thus minimizing risk of leakage through the absorbent pad100.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the peripheral attaching element 112 mayhave a C-fold or C-shaped arrangement, like that of the peripheralsealing element 110, that entirely encloses the peripheral sealingelement 110. This arrangement forms a fabric cover over the peripheralsealing element 110, thereby protecting it and improving the texture andfeel of the absorbent pad 100. It will be appreciated that theperipheral attaching element 112 may be arranged differently whilekeeping the first portion 112 a and second portion 112 b bonded to anddetached from, respectively, the peripheral sealing element 110.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, there is a method 300for forming the absorbent pad 100. With reference to FIG. 3 , the method300 includes a step 302 of bonding the functional layer 101 to thebarrier layer 106. The method 300 further includes a step 304 of bondingthe peripheral sealing element 110 to the periphery 105 of thefunctional layer 101 and the periphery 107 of the barrier layer 106. Themethod 300 further includes a step 306 of bonding the first portion 112a of the peripheral attaching element 112 to the peripheral sealingelement 110. The second portion 112 b of the peripheral attachingelement 112 is detached from the peripheral sealing element 110 and isarranged to be attached to the fabric body 200 to thereby attach theabsorbent pad 100 to the garment.

It will be appreciated that various aspects of the absorbent pad 100described above apply similarly or analogously to the method 300 forforming the absorbent pad 100 and will not be further described forpurpose of brevity.

In some embodiments, the functional layer 101 includes the wickingcomponent 102 and absorbent component 104. The step 302 may includeattaching, such as by bonding and/or stitching, the wicking component102 to the absorbent component 104 and the barrier layer 106, such thatthe absorbent component 104 is disposed between the wicking component102 and the barrier layer 106. For example, the wicking component 102,absorbent component 104, and barrier layer 106 are bonded together bythe bonding means 108. The step 304 may include bonding the peripheralsealing element 110 to the respective peripheries of the wickingcomponent 102 and the barrier layer 106. The steps 302 and 304 thuscombine the various layers/components into a layer composite as shown inFIG. 4A and FIG. 4B.

In the step 306, the first portion 112 a of the peripheral attachingelement 112 is bonded to a portion of the peripheral sealing element110. The peripheral attaching element 112 may be in the form of a fabricstrip cut covering the outer edges of the functional layer 101/wickingcomponent 102 and the barrier layer 106. The steps 302 to 306 thusresult in the forming of the absorbent pad 100 as shown in FIG. 4C andFIG. 4D. The absorbent pad 100 is structured such that the liquidimpermeable layers/components thereof are joined by suitable bondingmeans, such as adhesive or ultrasonic bonding and without stitching orsewing. The absence of stitches thus minimizes the risk of leakagethrough the absorbent pad 100.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure as shown in FIG. 5 andFIG. 6A to FIG. 6F, there is a garment 400 and a method 500 formodifying the garment 400. The garment 400 includes the fabric body 200and the absorbent pad 100 attached to the fabric body 200.

Specifically, the absorbent pad 100 is attached to an interior surfaceof the fabric body 200 and extends over at least an area of the userthat is subject to bodily excretions. One or more absorbent pads 100 mayform part of a garment, whether integral or removable. Any garment thatis intended to be in contact with a user's skin may be fitted with oneor more absorbent pads 100. For example, the garment may be outerwear,such as a shirt, a T-shirt, shorts, trousers/pants, leggings, runningshorts, bicycle shorts, swimwear, yoga pants, body-shape-altering“stretch” pants, shorts etc. In particular, the garment may besportswear or an undergarment (e.g. bra or underpants, sport or“performance” underwear). One or more absorbent pads 100 may be fittedto cover a small area of the garment, which will generally be an areasubject to the production of bodily excretions, such as the crotch area,the underarm area and the nipples of a pre- or post-partum female.Alternatively, the absorbent pads 100 may cover a major portion of theinternal surface area of the garment, for example, the absorbent pads100 in a pair of underpants may cover from 30-100% of the internalsurface area of the garment. The level of internal surface area coverageof the absorbent pads 100 can be readily determined by the skilledpractitioner based upon the intended use and the desired level ofcomfort of the user.

In some embodiments, the garment may be a pair of underpants. Theunderpants include a fabric body 200 having a waist opening and a pairof leg openings defining a crotch area there between that covers some orall of the genital area of a user. The underpants contain an internalsurface that is in contact with the user's skin (in this case thegenital area of the wearer) and an external surface, where some or allof said external surface is not in direct contact with the user's skin.The underpants also include an absorbent pad 100 that is attached to theinterior surface of the fabric body 200, specifically by stitching. Theabsorbent pad 100 may be disposed to cover the crotch area and mayextend over some or all of the crotch area and/or extend beyond thecrotch area. It will be appreciated that the underpants may be of anycut, size, style, colour, and type.

The fabric body 200 may contain one or more layers. For example, whenthe fabric body 200 contains one layer, the absorbent pad 100 can beattached to the crotch area of the fabric body 200. When the fabric body200 contains two layers, there is an inner fabric-body layer that whollyor partially contacts the body of the user and an outer fabric-bodylayer that is not in contact with the body of the user. The outermostfabric-body layer may be one or more of various colours, patterns, ordesigns (e.g., black, white, pink, etc.) to provide choices to the user,though for a fabric body 200 containing a single layer a dark colour maybe preferred. When the fabric body 200 comprises more than one layer,the innermost fabric-body layer may be a dark colour (e.g., black ordark grey) to help provide stain-resistance, so that any stain thereonis invisible or reduced in visibility or noticeability to the user. Ifthe fabric body 200 contains two or more layers, all, some, or none ofthe inner layer or layers may be visible to the user or other observerwhen the garment worn. Any of the layers may be cut to the same size ofthe outer fabric-body layer or can be cut to less than the full size ofsaid layer.

When the fabric body 200 has a single fabric-body layer, the materialmay be made of cotton, a cotton blend, a synthetic material, anelasticized blend (e.g. SPANDEX) or any other material (e.g. natural orman-made textile). When the fabric body 200 has two or more layers, theinner layers may be made of a thin fabric, while the outermost layer maybe made of a thicker fabric, such as those described above. The innerfabric-body layer(s) may be cut to the full shape of the fabric body 200or be cut to less than the full shape of the fabric body 200. Forexample, if the garment is a pair of underpants, an inner fabric-bodylayer may be cut to extend to cover only the crotch region. The innerfabric-body layer may also be densely stitched to the inner surface ofthe outer fabric-body layer to prevent leakage of fluids from the bodyof the user onto the outer surface of the underpants (or onto thewearer's outer clothes) and/or to any point on the inner surface of theunderpants outside of the crotch area that may be felt or by the user.The underpants can be in any style. For example, the underpants may havea low-cut style where the waistband is lower than the user's waist(typically, at a location at or near the hips of the user) or theunderpants can have a high cut, such that they include a section offabric that extends above the waistband. It will be appreciated that anysuitable height of waistband may be used.

FIG. 5 shows the method 500 for modifying a garment 400 to include or befitted with the absorbent pad 100. The method 500 includes a step 502 ofproviding the garment 400 including the fabric body 200. The method 500further includes a step 504 of forming the absorbent pad 100 for use inthe garment 400. The absorbent pad 100 is formed according the method300 described above and will not be further elaborated for purpose ofbrevity.

The method 500 further includes a step 506 of attaching the secondportion 112 b of the peripheral attaching element 112, which is detachedfrom the peripheral sealing element 110, to the fabric body 200 of thegarment 400, thereby attaching the absorbent pad 100 to the garment 400.In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the second portion112 b is attached to the fabric body 200 by stitching or sewing. Saidstitching or sewing forms stiches 114 between the second portion 112 band the fabric body 200. Moreover, said stitching may be performed usingthe bag out method such as by single needle tacking. The bag out methodcan be defined, in a non-limiting manner, as sewing the fabric piecesinside out, and then turning everything right side out so all the seams,seam allowance and stitching is on the inside of the resultant fabriccomposite or garment 400.

In the bag out method for stitching, the absorbent pad 100 is placed onthe fabric body 200 such that the barrier layer 106 is exposed,resulting in an inside out arrangement. The stitches 114 are thenformed, such as by single needle tacking. As shown in FIG. 6A, thefabric body 200 has an edge 202 that is folded inwards for stitchingwith the second portion 112 b along the side edges of the absorbent pad100 using the bag out method. Stitching or sewing using the bag outmethod and along the edge 202 allows the resultant stitches 114 to behidden from the user or other observer when the garment 400 is worn. Byhiding the stiches 114 from view, the garment 400 is able to achieve anaesthetically pleasing appearance.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D, the fabric body 200is attached with one or more elastic bands 116, such as by lining orinserting the elastic bands 116, to provide flexibility/elasticity tothe user. This allows the garment 400 to come in a small number ofdiscrete sizes that are able to cater to a wide variety of users ofvarious sizes. For example, the garment 400 is a pair of underpants andthe elastic bands 116 are arranged to surround the leg openings. In oneembodiment, the elastic bands 116 are inserted before stitching orsewing the absorbent pad 100 to the fabric body 200, the absorbent pad100 is stitched or sewed to the fabric body 200 together with theelastic bands 116. In another embodiment, the absorbent pad 100 isstitched to the fabric body 200 first, and the elastic bands 116 areattached to the fabric body 200 afterwards.

After stitching the absorbent pad 100 to the fabric body 200, the fabricbody 200 is turned right side out as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 . Byturning the fabric body 200 right side out as shown in FIG. 6E, thebarrier layer 106 is now in contact with the fabric body 200 and thefunctional layer 101/wicking component 102 is exposed. Notably, thefunctional layer 101/wicking component 102 should extend over an area ofthe user that is subject to bodily excretions. Additional stitches 118may be formed to further secure the absorbent pad 100 to the fabric body200, such as along the top and bottom edges of the absorbent pad 100 asshown in FIG. 6F.

In some embodiments, in the step 506, the second portion 112 b isattached to the fabric body 200 by bonding them together and optionallywithout stitches. Said bonding may be by adhesive or ultrasonic bondingwhich are described above for the bonding means 108/113 and will notfurther elaborated or purpose of brevity. It will be appreciated thatvarious aspects of the bag out method and the inclusion of the elasticbands 116 described above may apply similarly or analogously to theseembodiments of bonding the second portion 112 b to the fabric body 200.For example, the second portion 112 b may be bonded to the fabric body200 using a similar bag out method to achieve an aesthetically pleasingappearance, and the elastic bands 116 may be bonded to the fabric body200, such as by adhesive or ultrasonic bonding and optionally withoutstitches.

In some embodiments, the absorbent pad 100 as shown in FIG. 2 has thefunctional layer 101 which includes the absorbent component 104 butexcludes the wicking component 102. The method 300 for forming theabsorbent pad 100 including said functional layer 101 as well as themethod 500 for modifying the garment 400 to include said absorbent pad100 are illustrated in FIG. 7A to FIG. 7D. It will be appreciated thatvarious aspects of the methods 300 and 500 described above for theabsorbent pad 100 will apply similarly or analogously for theembodiments as shown in FIG. 7A to FIG. 7D.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B show the final garment 400 modified by the method500 to include or be fitted with the absorbent pad 100 that is attachedto the fabric body 200. The absorbent pad 100 is leak-proof and enablesthe efficient transport of liquid from the surface of the absorbent pad100, such as the wicking component 102 or outer surface 103 of thefunctional layer 101, to the underlying absorbent component 104. Thegarment 400 fitted with the absorbent pad 100 also exhibits theproperties associated with the absorbent pad 100. For example, as theabsorbent pad 100 provides sufficient and effective liquid absorption,when the garment 400 fitted with the absorbent pad 100 is in the form ofan undergarment, there may be no need to use a disposable tampon/pad inconjunction with the undergarment. Further, the absorbent pad 100 isthinner than conventional products, enabling the garment 400 to be moreattractive and more comfortable to wear than garments containingconventional pads, while providing enhanced protection from leakage.Although FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B show the garment 400 to be a pair ofunderpants, this should not be considered as limiting because similararrangements may be used with respect to other types of garments 400.

Depending on the configuration of the absorbent pad 100, one or more ofthe functional layer 101, wicking component 102, and absorbent component104 may be stitched at their respective middle section 111 as shown inFIG. 9A. In some configurations, the functional layer 101, wickingcomponent 102, and/or absorbent component 104 is itself formed fromseparate halves that are joined together at the middle section 111 bystitching. The stitch may be, but is not limited to, in the form of asingle stitch, a double stitch, or a lock stitch. Having these stitchesat the middle section 111 compresses the respective layers andcomponents and creates a well-like or pocket-like profile at the middlesection 111.

In some embodiments, the absorbent component 104 is formed from acomposite of a plurality of absorbent layers. As shown in FIG. 9A, theabsorbent component 104 has a first absorbent layer 104 a and a secondabsorbent layer 104 b. It will be appreciated that each of the absorbentlayers 104 ab is formed from an absorbent material described above forthe absorbent component 104. The absorbent layers 104 ab may beidentically or non-identically sized. For example, FIG. 9A shows thatthe first absorbent layer 104 a has a smaller footprint than the secondabsorbent layer 104 b. Both absorbent layers 104 ab may be joinedtogether at their peripheries 105, such as by stitching and/or bonding.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the wicking component 102 and absorbent layers 104ab may be joined together at the middle section 111, such as bystitching and/or bonding. For example, the wicking component 102 andabsorbent layers 104 ab may be stitched together at the middle section111, achieving a flat seam when viewed at the wicking component 102.Notably, the stitch does not penetrate the barrier layer 106 to keep itintact. The stitch may be, but is not limited to, in the form of asingle stitch, a double stitch, or a lock stitch. The barrier layer 106may join to the absorbent component 104, specifically the secondabsorbent layer 104 b, at the middle section 111 using non-stitchingmeans such as bonding to keep the barrier layer 106 intact. For example,ultrasonic bonding or an adhesive such as liquid glue or hotmelt powderglue may be used to bond or adhere the barrier layer 106 to the secondabsorbent layer 104 b at the middle section 111. In some configurations,the barrier layer 106 is formed from separate halves that are joinedtogether at the middle section 111 by ultrasonic bonding, and thisbonding area at the middle section 111 is reinforced with reinforcementtape. It will be appreciated that this joining at the middle section 111can apply similarly or analogously to other embodiments having variousconfigurations of the functional layer 101, wicking component 102, andabsorbent component 104 as described above.

The absorbent pad 100 is attached to the garment 400 by stitching orbonding the second portion 112 b of the peripheral attaching element 112to the fabric body 200. FIG. 9B shows the final garment 400 fitted withthe absorbent pad 100. The barrier layer 106 may join to the fabric body200 at the middle section 111 using non-stitching means such asultrasonic bonding and optionally reinforced with reinforcement tape.Like the absorbent pad 100, the fabric body 200 may include a stitch atthe middle section 111 to compress the fabric body 200 and achieve thewell-like or pocket-like profile at the middle section 111. Joining thevarious components and layers together at the middle section 111 allowsthe combination of the absorbent pad 100 and fabric body 200 to be moretightly compressed, thereby creating the well-like or pocket-likeprofile at the middle section 111. This well-like or pocket-like profileof the absorbent pad 100 and fabric body 200 makes the garment 400suitable for use as men's undergarments or male urinary incontinencegarments.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B, the peripheralattaching element 112 has a Y-shaped structure. The first portion 112 ais bonded to the peripheral sealing element 110 and the second portion112 b is detached from the peripheral sealing element 110 for attachingto the fabric body 200. In one embodiment as shown FIG. 10A, the wickingcomponent 102, absorbent component 104, and barrier layer 106 are bondedtogether using the bonding means 108. In another embodiment, the wickingcomponent 102, absorbent component 104, and barrier layer 106 arestitched together at their peripheries and the Y-shaped peripheralsealing element 110 is arranged to overlap the stitches 115. For a maleurinary incontinence garment, the barrier layer 106 is preferably bondedto the wicking component 102 and absorbent component 104 instead ofstitching.

The peripheral sealing element 110 may be or include a double-sidedadhesive tape. One adhesive side faces the wicking component 102,absorbent component 104, and barrier layer 106, while the other adhesiveside faces the first portion 112 a of the peripheral attaching element112. Alternatively, the peripheral sealing element 110 may be or includea single-sided adhesive tape and the first portion 112 a of theperipheral attaching element 112 is bonded to the non-adhesive side ofthe peripheral sealing element 110. The Y-shaped peripheral attachingelement 112 may be integrally formed with the peripheral sealing element110 and bonded to the wicking component 102 and barrier layer 106 as anintegral element. This saves time in forming the absorbent pad 100.

The Y-shaped peripheral attaching element 112 may be formed of anelastic material, such as an elastic fabric or textile material, tofacilitate attaching to the fabric body 200. However, it will beappreciated that the Y-shaped peripheral attaching element 112 can beformed of non-fabric/non-elastic materials as well. The absorbent pad100 with the Y-shaped peripheral attaching element 112 is suitable foruse in various urinary incontinence garments. It will be appreciatedthat the Y-shaped peripheral attaching element 112 can apply similarlyor analogously to other embodiments having various configurations of thefunctional layer 101, wicking component 102, and absorbent component 104as described above.

In some embodiments, the absorbent pad 100 and/or the garment 400 may bemade to be washable and reusable, thereby helping to reduceenvironmental impact. For example, the absorbent pad 100 and/or thegarment 400 is able to withstand at least 30 (e.g. a minimum of 50 or100) machine wash and tumble dry cycles without change in overallappearance, integrity of the components (including the various layers,bonding, and adhesives) and liquid management parameters as discussedherein. The material selection and unique construction ensures that theabsorbent pad 100 and/or the garment 400 are washable withoutcompromising on one or more of moisture management, antimicrobialfunctionality, and anti-odour functionality.

Further, the integrity of the absorbent pad 100 may be maintained for aminimum of 30 (e.g. a minimum of 50 or 100) wash and dry cycles. Thisensures that the absorbent pad 100 will not leak during the lifetime ofthe garment 400. For example, the various layers/components of theabsorbent pad 100 described herein are chosen such that they remainchemically, thermally and mechanically stable throughout the intendedlifetime of the absorbent pad 100/garment 400 while undergoing up to 30(e.g. up to 50 or up to 100) wash and dry cycles.

Various components of the absorbent pad 100 may be made of a materialthat is heat stable up to 190° C., such as up to 95° C. The adhesive orultrasonic bonding may be heat stable up to 190° C. or 95° C., whichenables the absorbent pad 100 to be used in a garment 400 that can bewashed and dried multiple times. Unless otherwise specified, usedherein, the term “heat stable” is intended to stipulate that there is nochange in the physical state of the component in question after beingsubjected to the stated temperature for a period of time consistent witha machine drying cycle.

In the foregoing detailed description, embodiments of the presentdisclosure in relation to an absorbent pad 100 for use in a garment 400are described with reference to the provided figures. The description ofthe various embodiments herein is not intended to call out or be limitedonly to specific or particular representations of the presentdisclosure, but merely to illustrate non-limiting examples of thepresent disclosure. The present disclosure serves to address at leastone of the mentioned problems and issues associated with the prior art.Although only some embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosedherein, it will be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the artin view of this disclosure that a variety of changes and/ormodifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departingfrom the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of thedisclosure as well as the scope of the following claims is not limitedto embodiments described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment comprising: a fabric body; and anabsorbent pad attached to the fabric body, the absorbent pad comprising:a liquid impermeable barrier layer; and a functional layer attached tothe barrier layer, the functional layer having a wicking component and aliquid absorbent component, the liquid absorbent component disposedbetween the wicking component and the barrier layer, wherein theabsorbent pad is washable and reusable.
 2. The garment of claim 1,wherein at least one of the wicking component and the absorbentcomponent of the functional layer is stitched to the barrier layer. 3.The garment of claim 2, further comprising a sealing element attached toa periphery of the functional layer and a periphery of the barrierlayer.
 4. The garment of claim 3, wherein the sealing element overlapsthe stitches through the functional layer and the barrier layer.
 5. Thegarment of claim 1, wherein an outer side or layer of the wickingcomponent facing away from the absorbent component comprises largerpores than an inner side or layer of the wicking component facingtowards the absorbent component to facilitate communication of liquid tothe absorbent component.
 6. The garment of claim 5, wherein the outerside or layer of the wicking component has hydrophobic properties andthe inner side or layer of the wicking component has hydrophilicproperties.
 7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the absorbent padcomprises a material for acquiring and distributing liquid from thewicking component to the absorbent component.
 8. The garment of claim 1,wherein the absorbent pad includes an attaching element that is attachedto the fabric body.
 9. The garment of claim 8, wherein the attachingelement comprises a first portion attached to the absorbent pad and asecond portion stitched to the fabric body.
 10. The garment of claim 8,wherein the attaching element is stretchable.
 11. The garment of claim8, wherein the attaching element and/or the fabric body comprises amaterial that prevents leakage of fluids.
 12. The garment of claim 1,wherein the fabric body comprises an outer fabric layer and an innerfabric layer attached to the outer fabric layer, the inner fabric layerdisposed on an inner surface of the outer fabric layer.
 13. The garmentof claim 12, wherein the absorbent pad is attached to the inner fabriclayer.
 14. The garment of claim 12, wherein the inner fabric layer isstretchable.
 15. An absorbent pad for use with a fabric body, theabsorbent pad comprising: a liquid impermeable barrier layer; and afunctional layer attached to the barrier layer, the functional layerhaving a wicking component and a liquid absorbent component, the liquidabsorbent component disposed between the wicking component and thebarrier layer, wherein the absorbent pad is washable and reusable. 16.The absorbent pad of claim 15, wherein at least one of the wickingcomponent and the absorbent component of the functional layer isstitched to the barrier layer.
 17. The absorbent pad of claim 16,further comprising a sealing element attached to a periphery of thefunctional layer and a periphery of the barrier layer.
 18. The absorbentpad of claim 17, wherein the sealing element overlaps the stitchesthrough the functional layer and the barrier layer.
 19. The absorbentpad of claim 15, wherein an outer side or layer of the wicking componentfacing away from the absorbent component comprises larger pores than aninner side or layer of the wicking component facing towards theabsorbent component to facilitate communication of liquid to theabsorbent component.
 20. The absorbent pad of claim 19, wherein theouter side or layer of the wicking component has hydrophobic propertiesand the inner side or layer of the wicking component has hydrophilicproperties.
 21. The absorbent pad of claim 15, further comprising amaterial for acquiring and distributing liquid from the wickingcomponent to the absorbent component.
 22. The absorbent pad of claim 15,further comprising an attaching element for attaching to the fabricbody.
 23. The absorbent pad of claim 22, wherein the attaching elementcomprises a first portion attached to the absorbent pad and a secondportion for stitching to the fabric body.
 24. The absorbent pad of claim22, wherein the attaching element is stretchable.
 25. The absorbent padof claim 22, wherein the attaching element comprises a material thatprevents leakage of fluids.